The Great Wood is a wonderful exploration of what might have been the Great Wood of Caledonia. James Crumley writes with passion but also with honesty in this book, returning again to the idea of wolves in Scotland, looking at the entire ecology of the area and wanting to return to a ‘natural’ balance. I …
October 2018
Independent Bookshops and the Community
I was following a conversation on a group on Facebook (I know, I know) and it was pointed out that people don’t seem to realise the services that local, independent bookshops offer. Most independent bookshops are a wonderfully curated collection of books for you to spend time in and get that right book for you …
Croydon Literary Festival
Croydon Literary Festival is now in its second year and is on the 27th of October in various venues in Croydon (sort of obvious from the name). The festival has a bit of an edge to it, from erotic literature, historical crime and punk sessions to talking about difficult issues. I would so love to …
Around the World in 80 Trees
I was so privileged to receive a reading copy of Around the World in 80 Trees from Laurence King Publishing, and it even came with a beautiful poster. Everything else I was reading had to be put on hold until I had finished this, though I could have dipped in and out of it as …
Adventures in Podcasting
As part of expanding the scope of the Independent Bookshop project I want to begin podcasting and exploring the story behind Independent Bookshops and their owners. The idea is when I visit bookshops around the UK (and eventually further afield) I will have professional and portable podcasting equipment for interviews and discussions. The basic package …